Joseph Plumb Martin was an ordinary soldier of the American Revolutionary War who wrote and published “Ordinary Courage”, a unique set of personal memories and experiences of being a viewer of war and a soldier of the Continental Army. Raised by his grandparents in a Connecticut farm, Joseph was inspired by the rage militaire and decided to join militia. Having trouble being enrolled, firstly, due to grandparents’ permission and later because of the lack of training, young man stood firm in his decision and put all efforts of become a soldier.

The narrative of Joseph Plumb Martin is often called by scholars as a unique source for American Revolution. Being a private in the army, his writing does not include big heroes but focuses more on the ordinary brave men who fought for peace. “Often Martin’s work is called a prior source of the Revolution”. (Washington Post, p. 4) It’s believed that the soldier has been keeping a journal where he put notes about the events that took place in his life during the war.

First titled “A Narrative of Some of The Adventures, Dangers, And Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier, Interspersed With Anecdotes of Incidents That Occurred Within His Own Observation”, the narrative was published anonymously in 1830. Each chapter of the work is devoted to a particular year’s campaign. Soldier’s life in the times of independence war was very difficult. Men served in militias or in Continental Army and usually came from artisans, farmers, etc. They learnt a lot of things during the way. They found out what were food shortage, danger and at times low morale. In his narrative Martin depicts the difficulties of the army service. He portrayed an honest picture of the war and what it was according to his own point of view.

Martin showed war and the birth of the new nation realistically without romantic concepts. He showed the hardships that the soldier faced, the ordinary courage of the men and their bravery. Martin described how ordinary soldiers fought for freedom and did everything to protect their families. Writer emphasizes that the army and the cause were one. If army would have collapsed during the war, the cause of it would have been lost as well. And luckily he writes no one had to “starve to death or break up the army”. They were all one piece. Heroic, brave and ordinary fighting for their lives and the bright future of the nation.

The book brings about important personal aspects shown in the soldier. Young man Martin did not have to be so into the war, but he was. He did not sit down at home waiting for good news. He stood up and faced the world. He became an important contributor to building the nation. Such people, like Martin, I believe, have amazing soul and self-motivation. And it is fortunate that there were many men like him who stood shoulder in shoulder to combat the war.

Joseph Plumb Martin had a great sense of humor that he showed in his narrative. Sometimes encounters of death are even presented in a manner that surprisingly makes reader smile. The true realization of the work is that while the war is often recognized as “noble” and “neat”, it clearly was anything but. Through Martin’s words we see that there was a dissention among patriots and low degree of support of the main cause of the war. “Ordinary Courage” gives a great insight into the events of Revolutionary America back in the days.